With Valentine’s Day around the corner, today’s brain break was "Opposites Attract, Or Do They Really?" When ready to start this activity, ask students to stand at the wall that represents their preference. Next, call out a word pair. For example, I asked, “Which makes the better pet? Dogs or cats?” Students walk to the wall that matches their preference. Those who prefer dogs go to the dog wall (in this case, I pointed to the west wall of the classroom) while those who prefer cats stand at the cat wall (I pointed to the opposite wall). I then asked each group to mingle and, when called upon, orally present one argument as to why cats are better pets than dogs, and vice-versa.
We did three rounds and the students perked up enough to complete a writing assignment before their break. It got them out of their chairs, moving around, and learning about common interests they share with their classmates, especially classmates outside of their immediate circle of friends. It also gave students a chance to exercise their persuasive-argument skills.
If you are thinking of doing this brain break, here are some other sample word pairs:
Books/movies
Concerts/plays
Football/baseball
Basketball/soccer
Performer/audience
Novels/poetry
Sweet/sour
Spicy/bland
Snow/rain
Fog/sunshine
Beach/mountains
Desert/rain forest
Walking/jogging
Rock (or pop) music/country music
Day/night
Lake/river
Maze Runner/Hunger Games
Book/movie
Coke/Pepsi
Comedy/drama
Mercedes/BMW
There are many word pair combinations you can use: two different popular musicians or bands, two academic subjects, two popular movie stars, two popular reality shows, etc. Tap into your students’ interests!
Source: Icebreakers for High School Classrooms created by Dianne Mason